


A Courtesan's Life

by aspiringwriterofamazingstories



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Complicated Relationships, F/M, Friendship, Gotham, Intimacy, Love, Mentions of Murder, NSFW, Prostitution, Reader-Insert, Sex, Sexy, courtesan - Freeform, mentions of abuse, slight nsfw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-21 06:03:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9535004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aspiringwriterofamazingstories/pseuds/aspiringwriterofamazingstories
Summary: Imagine you are a courtesan and Fish Mooney is your madame. She takes very good care of you, and on a daily basis, you are pursued by suitors from all corners of Gotham, including a world famous hypnotist named Jervis Tetch, Mayor Oswald Cobblepot, his chief of staff Edward Nygma, and a mysterious enigmatic young man by the name of Jerome Valeska whose background is unclear due to all the rumors that surround him.This will be a series of oneshots that go into details of each relationship the reader has.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this on my tumblr (newmooneyfanfiction.tumblr.com). I don't usually write smut, and although I wouldn't consider this smut, I do have some minimal descriptions of sex here. Along with this, there are mentions of abuse and murder. If any of these are triggers for you, I don't suggest reading this. If you wish to continue, proceed with caution.

Of all the girls, you were Madame Mooney’s absolute favorite. Almost like a daughter, really. She always made sure you were dressed in the finest clothes and she would sometimes give you the lovely gifts and trinkets her suitors gave to her. You had one of the nicest boudoirs even before you were ready to take customers. As you grew older, there began to be whispers heard around the house that she planned to give you everything should anything happen to her. You may have been a courtesan, but you were in quite a comfortable place and far more privileged than any housewife who tended to her husband’s every need. You were quite content where you were at, and Madame Mooney--or “Mama,” as she allowed only you to call her--was sure to keep you safe should anyone try to get a little more from you than you were comfortable giving. She had taught you early on how to read the signs, and if it even seemed like a man was going to start acting out of line or in a way that made you uncomfortable, all you had to do was casually walk behind your changing screen and ring the chimes hung there. That would prompt any nearby servant to interrupt the session and tell you that you were needed in Madame Mooney’s office and the men would be pointed in the direction of another courtesan that might be more than happy to meet their needs.  
Over the years, you had met many men of varying backgrounds and all walks of life, but the ones that stood out the most were Jervis Tetch the world famous hypnotist, Mayor Oswald Cobblepot, Cobblepot’s chief of staff Edward Nygma, and the mysterious Jerome who no one was quite sure where he came from or how he came to be in Gotham.

Jervis Tetch the World Famous Hypnotist:

Jervis was one of your most interesting suitors and one of the most romantic. He enjoyed rhymes and reciting poetry. It was enough to make any girl blush and develop a case of butterflies in her stomach. He was gentle for the most part in the boudoir, and had sort of an old world charm in the way he dressed and acted like a fine gentleman from a storybook. It would have been easy for you to fall in love with him had it not been for one quirk that made you ill at ease.

He talked an awful lot about his sister, Alice, who died after a terrible accident.  
At first, you thought nothing of it. You even thought it was sweet how he grieved her, but then he started to say some strange things. He began talking about how you reminded him of her, and how he was beginning to adore you just as he did her. That would not have been so terrible had the two of you not been making love on a regular basis and had he not suddenly shown an interest in wanting to show you the watches he used for shows. As soon as he began speaking like this, you made use of those chimes behind your screen, and in no time, a servant was there to take you away from the situation. You later told Madame Mooney about the situation, and she ensured you never had to take him as a customer again. This, however, caused him to become obsessed. The servants tried to point him in the direction of other courtesans, but he only wanted you. It didn’t take long for Madame Mooney to have to ban him from the premises for everyone’s safety.

Mayor Oswald Cobblepot:

You were quite fond of the mayor. He wasn’t like the others. He valued your friendship and he wasn’t interested in sex at all.

He took a liking to you during a party that took place at the house. You were intelligent and very kind to him, unlike most. You pitied him. You recognized the look of a man who was defeated from years of being kicked around despite how successful he became later on. You sat next to each other and exchanged small talk and a few laughs here and there, and at the end of the night, he expressed interest in wanting to see you again. Madame Mooney and him had some sort of history that made their relationship complicated to say the least, and she wasn’t too fond of him becoming a regular patron of yours, but you expressed interest in him and she knew he knew better than to hurt you.

He visited you at least once a week with gifts of jewelry and the finest dresses. He enjoyed spoiling you, and all he asked for in return was a little time in your boudoir to speak privately and openly about just about anything. His triumphs, his fears, and sometimes his mother. He once told you that you reminded him a little of her, in the way she loved him and genuinely cared for him, and instead of being creeped out as you had been when Jervis expressed something similar about his sister, you knew this came from a kind and warm place in his heart. He meant it as a friend, and you were honored to be compared to her. The most intimate touch the two of you would share was your gentle kiss to his forehead, and that was good enough for both of you.  
Unfortunately, the life of a courtesan didn’t leave much room for friendships, and although the friendship you had with him wasn’t completely destroyed, it was tested and tainted when his chief of staff, Edward Nygma, began to show interest in you. The very man he had revealed he had fallen in love with.

Edward Nygma, the mayor’s chief of staff:

Edward was one of your most generous patrons. Like the mayor, he loved spoiling you with gifts, but instead of jewelry and clothes, he gave you puzzles. You appreciated the originality.

He was like the mayor in many ways. One being that he trusted you and confided in you with just about everything. He often expressed his grief over his past two lovers. One being a woman by the name of Kristen, though he didn’t like to go into too much detail as to how she died. It only raised your curiosity and made you want to know more, but you didn’t pry. The other lover’s name was Isabella. He explained how she looked just like Kristen and how happy he had been with her. She died after her car got hit by a train as a result of the brakes giving out. He was honest with you. You looked nothing like either of his lovers and he didn’t believe he was in love with you, but you made him happy in different ways. One of the things that made him different from the mayor was that he enjoyed sex, and you didn’t mind putting on a pair of glasses every once in a while to allow him to pretend you were a lost lover.

When the two of you were intimate, however, he was like a completely different person. No longer the man who had gentle conversations about his past lovers or about how much he valued his friendship with the mayor. He was rough, but not in any way that scared you. He enjoyed fighting over domination with you and always left you out of breath once you were finished.

You saw less of both the mayor and Edward in time, however. The mayor expressed his discomfort in you taking Edward as a patron and stated he felt betrayed and offered a break from seeing you a little while, which broke your heart. Edward still came around, but one night, he came to you angry. He told you he found out that the mayor, his closest and dearest friend had betrayed him. It was he who was responsible for Isabella’s death, and he would have to stop seeing you until he sorted out the matter, but he wouldn’t tell you his plans. For the first time in your career, you were hurt.

Jerome Valeska:

Jerome made his appearance in your life shortly after you lost your two favorite patrons. He was younger than most of the guests, in his early twenties, and he was handsomely boyish. At first, the courtesans treated him as an outsider, but once they found out he had a generous amount of money to spare, they encouraged him to make himself at home.

There was something that felt dangerous about him. No one quite knew where he came from or how he came to have the amount of money he did to spend. You heard whispers that he had murdered his mother and that all of his money was stolen. None of these rumors, however, were confirmed, and after your heartbreak, you were ready to fill the void even if you didn’t think any sort of relationship you had with him would match the ones you had with Edward and the mayor.

In the boudoir, Jerome sometimes hinted that the rumors were true, and when he saw the look on your face, he let out a laugh so infectious, you disturbed yourself by laughing with him. You could never quite tell if he was joking or not, and you didn’t feel like asking. You found it easier to assume he was.

He enjoyed sex. More so than any of your lovers before. He was rough and he liked to be in control during your intimate sessions, but he was never violent with you as you had heard he had been with other lovers. Some of the courtesans began to fear him and would make themselves scarce when he entered the establishment. One night, he confirmed that they had reason to be scared of him, but he liked you more than the others. You made him laugh while the others were plain boring. You felt complimented, but still uncomfortable. You had thought more than once to ring the chimes, but you feared for the safety of the servants and other courtesans. You had thought of asking Madame Mooney to ban him as she did Jervis, and when you finally approached her, she informed you she was already planning on having a talk with you about him and her concern about you with him. Luckily, neither of you had to do anything. He disappeared for a while without so much as a word, and you and the other courtesans were quite relieved yet still uneasy over the fact that there was the possibility he could mysteriously show up again.

A few months passed and it was all over the papers that he had returned. His face had been removed during some cult’s ritual, but the madman retrieved it and reattached it with staples. He then kidnapped Gotham’s young billionaire Bruce Wayne and planned on murdering him, but didn’t anticipate the boy could hold his own. He was caught and taken to Arkham, and you and the rest of the courtesans hoped he would remain there forever.


	2. Meeting the Madame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Madame Mooney at your absolute lowest, and she offers you a place to stay as long as you work to earn your keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second part to the oneshot series. Nothing too bad happens here, but I still want to list some possible triggers: Mentions of drugs, mentions of abuse, mentions of homelessness, mentions of prostitutes.

The woman who gave birth to you was not your mother. She was a woman who was charged with child neglect when she attempted to sell you for drugs when you were only six years old. She was the reason you were passed along from foster home to foster home until you were eighteen years old and the system no longer cared. Your last foster family seemed more than happy to be rid of you. They allowed you one small suitcase for some clothes and personal belongings before sending you on your way to the cold, unforgiving streets of Gotham.

The woman who gave birth to you was only responsible for giving you life and causing you misery. That was all. Your closest thing to a mother was Madame mooney.

She approached you when you were at your lowest. It had been nearly two weeks since you had had a roof over your head, and you had been trying to adjust to sleeping in alleys. You felt worthless. You considered selling yourself, but you had far too much pride for that. No one you met in the dark corners of the city was good enough to enjoy your body, regardless of how much they were willing to pay. You had tried to find “good honest” work, but each and every restaurant, cafe, bar, and convenience store worker turned their nose up and shooed you away as if you were a rat. It seemed as if the world had nothing it wanted to offer you, so you pondered for reasons why you should stay in a world that clearly didn’t want you.

As if to prove you wrong, the world sent Madame Mooney your way that day. 

You were sitting propped up against the wall of an old building, your knees exposed by ripped jeans hugged to your chest. You were dirty. The tears had left streaks down your cheeks. No one looked your way. They would have rather pretended you didn’t exist. You had been ready to doze off when your mind’s curiosity was piqued by the sound of the light clicking of heels on the pavement. You looked up to see one of the most beautiful women you had ever seen. She had a petite frame that was wrapped with a deep red cocktail dress and a black fur shawl around her shoulders. Her dark hair was cropped, and her bangs were streaked an edgy red. Her radiant umber skin was smooth and even, untouched by the dull grey rain thanks to the work of the young umbrella boy that walked by her side (you’d later find out one of your favorite suitors once had that very job).

As she grew closer, you grew nervous and put your head down. She was sophisticated and perfect, and although you were full of pride, you didn’t feel like you were quite worthy enough to gaze upon her as she passed by. You hugged your knees closer and rested your forehead on the caps and waited for the light clicking sound to fade in the distance.

To your surprise, however, the clicking didn’t fade away, but rather stopped completely. Your heart raced as you lifted your head slightly to see that she had stopped to get a look at you. You were afraid to raise your glance to meet hers, but you found you were left with little choice.

“Look up, dear,” she said.

Her voice was smooth like velvet. Seductive yet gentle. You did as she said and met her amber gaze. She studied you a few moments before telling you to stand. Again, you did as she said, but lowered your head once again. This caused her to gently tip your chin up with a fingertip and a long black stiletto nail. Your heart raced even faster as her eyes seemed to scan each and every single feature of your face.

“Where’s your family, child?” she asked.

“I don’t have one,” you said. The words came out softer than you would have liked.

The woman looked over at the man who held the umbrella and tsked. “It’s such a shame a pretty thing like this should be without a family,” she said. The man nodded in agreement, though you were sure he only did so to please her and not because he cared about you. That much didn’t matter to you. You had been called pretty before by creeps on the streets, but it felt real coming from her lips. A shy smile began to form across your lips.

“Do you have a home?” she then asked. You shook your head.

“A job?” 

You told her you didn’t.

“What a shame,” she said, “I think you should take a stroll with me.”

She motioned for her umbrella boy to move and he did so in a way that allowed both of you to be under the umbrella. Before you knew it, she was linking her arm with yours, and you were slowly walking alongside the radiant woman. She smelled of jasmines and roses, which made you feel a little embarrassed, since you smelled of the street.

“I recently had to let someone go,” she said, “The reasons are complicated and irrelevant to what I’m about to tell you. She is unimportant. I want to talk about you. What is your name, child?”

You swallowed before answering. “Y/N,” you said.

“A lovely name,” she said before looking over at the man holding the umbrella, “Don’t you agree?”

He nodded his head, but it seemed more like he was just trying not to feel to irritated by the sprinklets from the sky dampening his suit.

“You see, Y/N,” she continued, “Because she is now gone, I’ve got a room unoccupied, and my house has felt a little emptier with one less girl.”

Butterflies were awakened in your stomach. You didn’t want to get your hopes up, but it sounded like the woman was going to offer you a place to live.  
“It would warm my heart to get you off of these unforgiving streets and provide a roof over your head,” she went on, “but here’s the thing. I give absolutely nothing of mine away for free. You’ll have to work to earn your keep.”

“Absolutely!” you said quicker than you could control the word from coming out of your mouth.

“Darling girl,” she said with a tick of her finger, “don’t jump right into a body of water you cannot see the bottom of. I wish to be upfront about the work I intend for you.”

You felt your face heat up with a blush and you nodded your head, ready to listen to what she had to say. How bad could it be? Surely, someone so beautiful had something glamorous in mind for you.

“Do you know what a courtesan is, child?”

You felt yourself tense up. No, you couldn’t do this. You had already decided against prostituting. The idea of allowing yourself to pleasure some creep on the street in exchange for having money thrown at you disgusted you.

“Isn’t that a prostitute?” you asked trying to hide your dismay.

“I could already tell you know only the misconceptions of this line of work,” she said with a laugh as she patted your arm, “No, dear, you won’t be a prostitute. Not exactly. You see, a prostitute lies with any man for whatever little money he has, even if it's merely spare change. My courtesans only see the city’s finest. The most polished of clients, and if you’re really good at your job, you can have your choice of patrons and say no to any that you find undesirable. You’ll be spoiled, darling, if they like you. They’ll give you anything your heart desires all just to spend a little time with you.”

There was no denying that it didn’t sound like such a bad gig, but you still weren’t completely convinced.

“And the best part,” the woman said, “Is that you’ll have a family. All of the courtesans and myself, even this gentleman holding the umbrella for us. We’ll all look out for you. No harm will ever come to you just as long as you follow the rules.”

The idea of having a family or something close to it was enough to make you feel as if you would burst into tears right there on the spot, but you managed to keep yourself controlled.

“So, what’s your answer, dear?” she asked, “Do we have a deal?”

You nodded and gave her a shy smile, holding yourself back from throwing your arms around her.  
“I knew you were a smart girl,” she said, “Now, from this day forward, you will address me as Madame Mooney. Are we clear?”

You nodded again and she gave you a smile. “Good,” she said, “Allow me to show you the way home.”


	3. Jervis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader is pursued by the charming world famous hypnotist Jervis Tetch and learns a hard life lesson about the difference between love and obsession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: Mentions of abuse, courtesans (prostitution), hypnotism, vague descriptions of sexual intimacy.
> 
> Jervis is a villain, and I've kept him as such. I've tried to make Reader's reaction to his true nature as realistic as possible. Not a happy ending! You've been warned!

Madame Mooney didn’t put you to work right away. “There are many things a girl needs to learn before she begins to take clients,” she said, “and I’m going to make sure you learn from the mistakes of others.”

The room she gave you once belonged to a young woman named Liza. “She fell in love with someone she ought not have,” she explained, “A man named Carmine Falcone. All you need to know is that by doing so, she put the safety of this family at risk. That is your first lesson, child. In this line of work, it is possible to develop feelings for a patron. Don’t you ever let these feelings cloud your judgement. Do you hear me, baby girl?”

Her voice had changed some. Instead of gentle and smooth, it became firm and serious and she locked you in a stern gaze. One that sent chills up your spine. You nodded. You realized from this slight change just how important this lesson was for you to remember. Madame Mooney likely love all of her girls in her own way, but you had a feeling she would carry out punishments she deemed appropriate if any of you stepped out of line.

Liza’s boudoir was small, but habitable. There was just enough space for a twin-sized bed, a wardrobe, and a vanity. Atop the bed were lush pillows of varying soft pastel shades, and the walls and furniture were painted white. A few trinkets and old dying flowers remained on the vanity, gifts from Liza’s old customers. “They’re yours,” Madame Mooney said, “They belong to me now that she has left, but consider them gifts of welcoming.” 

You approached the vanity and reached slowly for the pearl necklace that had caught your eye upon entering the room. Before your fingertips made contact with it, however, you turned your attention to the Madame again as if making extra sure you had permission. The woman’s lips curled and she nodded reassuringly. You couldn’t help but smile as you took the jewelry into your hand. The off-white pink beads felt cool in your hands and surprisingly slightly heavy. A sign that they were the real deal.

“I have one of my men running a bath of rosewater for you, dear,” Madame Mooney said as you admired the jewelry, “Let’s get you cleaned up before you try anything on.”

 

Over the course of the following few months, Madame Mooney used the time to assess your strengths. Gotham’s finest liked more than to just visit a courtesan’s room, after all. They liked to be entertained and drawn in. “Can you play an instrument? The piano, perhaps?”  
You told her you didn’t.  
“You will learn,” she said, “The instructor comes in once a week. He’ll have you sounding as if you’ve been playing for your entire life within only a few months.”  
Along with learning the piano, Madame Mooney had you sing for her a few times. She determined that your voice was “pleasant enough,” but it wasn’t your strength. “It’s no matter, though,” she said, “It doesn’t matter how pleasant your voice is compared to a primadonna’s. It only matters how good you are at selling it.”  
She gave you sheet music and lyrics of songs she said had a way of making the patrons feel either “young and new” or as if the singer was absolutely enthralled by the patrons.

This time was also used by the other courtesan’s to give you a few lessons of their own. “When a suitor is pursuing you,” one named Barbara said, “They might come bearing gifts. You can take advantage of that by dropping little hints. If it comes up, tell them your favorite colors are warm colors like gold even if you prefer those pastel shades Liza left behind. If you give them a color like pink or red, they’ll likely come with flowers, which are pretty to look at, but they have no value and they wither up and die over time. If you must tell them you like pink, make sure you say, ‘pearly pink’ or something along those lines.”

Among all of your courtesan sisters, you liked Barbara the best. She was a bit older than you with large and lovely blue eyes, a heart shaped face, and angelic blonde hair, and the two of you connected almost immediately. Her boudoir was quite a bit larger than yours, but only because she had been there longer and had brought in enough money to earn her the privilege of having a bigger room, and she let you come in and chat when she wasn’t taking clients. Some of the other courtesans murmured how she was crazy and some of her patrons gave her the name “Stabby Babs.” You once asked her about this. The smile faded from her face and suddenly, she looked really sad. She turned away from you and turned her attention to the mirror of her vanity to continue applying her makeup, but she made eye contact with the reflection of you. “When you love someone like I loved Jim,” she said softly, “It can make you do crazy things.”

That’s all she said about it, and you didn’t ask anymore. Not even who Jim was.

You, unfortunately, didn’t get the pleasure of having her as a sister for long. A pretty woman by the name of Tabitha with jet black hair and a similar skin tone to Madame Mooney began to visit her quite often, which led to another lesson. Tabitha was the last of a family called the Galavan’s and was left with a generous fortune. Not only did she pay and agree to a month’s contract that guaranteed exclusive access to Barbara’s boudoir, but at the end of that month, she met with Madame Mooney to discuss arranging for Barbara to move out and live with her. Madame Mooney agreed after they determined a fair and generous price. Barbara seemed more than happy about this. You noticed how her face lit up every time she saw Tabitha and Tabitha not only didn’t seem put off by her “Stabby Babs” reputation, but she seemed to embrace it and love it about her. Barbara left, but made sure to stop by your boudoir to give you a kiss on the forehead and a diamond necklace from one of her patrons of the past. “For luck,” she said. It was the last interaction the two of you had.

From that, you learned that it was possible to develop good relationships with patrons. Relationships that were so good that the patron was willing to give up a large amount of wealth to allow you to move out and start a life with them. “It happens solemnly,” Madame Mooney said when you asked her about it, “and I suppose it could happen for you, but you needn’t be thinking too much about such things so early on. You have yet to even take customers.”

Shortly after that conversation, Madame Mooney had a servant stop by your room and inform you that they were there to help move your things. You thought the worst. You thought you had offended the madame with your question, but you were both surprised and relieved to find out you were moving your things to Barbara’s room. It was then you started to hear the whispers. Madame Mooney had to have really liked you, they said. You pretended you didn’t hear the murmurs about adoption and how Madame Mooney must have had the intention of making you her daughter, and if that was the case, she’d leave you with the business if something should happen to her or for when she decided to retire. You tried not to let such talk go to your head, but you now had a new goal in mind. You would continue to follow all the rules and go out of the way to please your Madame. It seemed the safest bet to ensure you were taken care of for the rest of your life. After a little while longer, you were playing the piano as if you had been playing for years and learning all of the lyrics to the songs Madame Mooney gave you. You were now ready to take customers.

 

Madame Mooney wanted to first give you a few tips to ensure your safety. “Behind your changing screen,” she said, “I have had the servants hang up a few chimes. If you ever take a patron that’s trying to get a little more than what he paid for or a little more than what you are comfortable with, go behind the screen and give them a ring. That will alert a servant to interrupt the session and tell you that Madame Mooney needs to speak with you in her office immediately. It will sound urgent enough for the client to believe something has happened, and our servant will try to point them in the direction of another courtesan to get their money’s worth. Do you understand?”

You nodded.

“Good,” she said, “Now listen closely, baby girl. I have arranged for a celebration to take place tomorrow night for your first real night as a courtesan. The invitations have been sent out, and some very big names are expected to attend. I anticipate a lot of our guests will show interest in you, but you will not be taking anyone to your boudoir tomorrow night. Some may try to persuade you, but that is a surefire way to bring down your value. If our guests get the impression they can get under your sheets so easily, you’ll gain a bad reputation of being easy. Our guests like the chase. They like a challenge more than they do obtaining what they want so easily. I’m telling you all of this because I love you, dear child. I see you as a daughter. Don’t you ever disappoint me by being an easy girl, and don’t you dare give anything away for free. I don’t want to have to kick you back out into the streets because you can’t earn your keep.”

Despite the fear of being kicked out on the streets, you were overjoyed to know that Madame Mooney, who now wanted you to call her “Mama,” loved you so much that she was willing to go out of her way to ensure your safety and to give you such helpful advice. You were sure she was giving none of her out girls the same treatment, and it was the first time you really felt cared for by anyone you called Mama.

 

It was only a few hours before the party when you and the rest of the courtesan’s were notified that someone special would be attending. A world famous hypnotist by the name of Jervis Tetch.

Of course the courtesans were excited. Someone like him was bound to be willing to pay good money for an exclusive contract with anyone he liked. You, however, did not get your hopes up. You were a new girl, and although the party was for you, it was more likely the guests would seek out the courtesans who were more experienced. It was possible, but you liked to keep your expectations realistic. You’d be glad if you caught the attention of a regular big wig.

Before the guests arrived, a servant stopped by your room to deliver one last gift before you made your debut. You thanked him and set the box on your bed and opened the lid to reveal the nicest dress you had ever owned. It was one that would hug your curves and show some leg, but modest enough for a new courtesan. A beautiful black and gold pattern of tiny beads was carefully sewn to give it a look of genuine elegance. You were sure it was quite expensive. Madame Mooney must have really believed in your ability to pull in a profit. You couldn’t slip it on fast enough before admiring yourself in the mirror and how it showed off your figure. You then put the finishing touches to your makeup and wore your hair in an elegant updo. Finally, you put on the diamond necklace Barbara gave you and headed out of to the main hall where the guests would soon be arriving to meet you.

 

There were men and women of varying backgrounds, varying ages, and varying levels of attractiveness greeting you that night. You had the privilege of sitting next to the Madame who seemed quite proud to have you at your table, though you were a little disappointed when she introduced you as her “newest addition” rather than as her daughter.

You found yourself studying the different guests at the different tables scattered throughout the halls and began to determine which ones you might have preferred to share your boudoir with in the near future. Certainly someone you found attractive, and certainly someone who was not too terribly that much older than you. Madame Mooney told you during your first encounter that if you could gain the admiration of enough patrons, you could have your choice of them. That was going to be your goal tonight. You just needed to pique the interest of enough of them.

Sometime into the party, a late arrival stepped into the hall and caught your eye immediately, not just because of how attractive he was, but about how he stood apart from the rest of the guests. Your heart jumped slightly, and you couldn’t help but smile in his direction. All the other courtesans and guests seemed to take notice and look his direction too, despite attempting to act as if they didn’t notice him and go on about their business. It was nearly impossible not to look at someone so peculiar yet so dashing. He had sharp features and long shoulder length brown hair and dark brown eyes to match. He wore a black top hat, a long black button down coat, black slacks, and gloves on his hands. It didn’t take long for him to catch you smiling at him, and he smiled in return before starting towards the table. The way he dressed and carried himself made him seem like a gentleman from an old storybook.

Madame Mooney leaned over slightly in your direction and said softly. “That is the famous hypnotist you were told about earlier,” she said, “He’s highly renowned. Don’t embarrass yourself or me.”

You froze for just a moment with nerves. You would hate to make your Madame look bad in front of someone so famous. When he approached your table and smiled your way again, however, you felt yourself relax before he turned his attention to Madame Mooney. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said with a slight bow. Madame Mooney offered him her hand, and he took it to place a gentle kiss upon it. “I’ve heard many a great thing about you,” he then said.  
“The pleasure is mine,” she said in that rich seductive tone of hers, “Might I introduce you to my newest addition, Mr. Tetch. This lovely girl next to me is our very own Y/N.”

He turned his attention back to you and you mimicked your Madame’s actions from only moments before and held out your hand. He took it and did the same as he did with her, only when he kissed the back of your hand, his eyes locked with yours, and in that brief moment, it felt like there was no one else in the room. Chills ran up your spine, and in that moment, you knew you had a chance.

“Y/N will be demonstrating her talents on the piano later tonight,” Madame Mooney said, “I do hope you’ll stick around long enough to enjoy the performance.”

“Lovely,” Jervis said, “I look forward to it.”  
And with that, he tipped his hat to both of you before turning to socialize with other guests, and although you hadn’t been too terribly nervous before about your performance, you were absolutely terrified you’d somehow mess up the song and humiliate yourself now that you knew he’d be watching.

 

Madame Mooney made sure you drank plenty of water to clear your throat, but absolutely no alcohol. “It tends to make my girl’s inhibitions go down,” she said, “and you need your mind focused and clear for your performance tonight.”

You weren’t any less nervous as you stepped on stage and sat at the piano’s bench. Even when you tried to block everything out, you found yourself distracted when you caught sight of Jervis moving over to sit next to your Madame to enjoy the show you were about to put on. His lips were curled and his eyes locked on you. Your turned you gaze to Madame Mooney and she gave you a nod and her own smile of reassurance. You faced the keys of the piano and took a deep breath.

I can do this, you thought, She wouldn’t have me up here if she didn’t think I could.

You took one more slow deep breath before you touched the keys and began to do your work. The notes chimed beautifully and you began to relax, when it came time to sing, the words came out as if by instinct. You found yourself lost in the song. You thought of nothing else, and when the song came to a close, you found yourself back on stage and greeted with a warm and generous applause. To your delight, you looked Madame Mooney’s way to see she was wearing the smile of a proud mother, and you saw the charming Jervis smiling brightly as he stood to clap for you.

You beamed with pride as you stood to give a slight bow before stepping down. A couple of your sisters approached you for congratulatory embraces and kind words, and a few of the invited guests approached you to give you praise and to get a closer look at the new courtesan that had stolen their hearts. You could have even sworn you saw the mayor’s face in the crowd, but you couldn’t be sure. It was no matter, though. You wanted to see your Madame and who was hopefully your first suitor.

Upon reaching the table, Madame Mooney got up to give you an embrace and a kiss on your cheek. “That’s my girl,” she murmured before letting you go. It was then Jervis stood to greet you. He removed his hat and gave you a bow before taking your hand as he did earlier, only this time, instead of kissing it right away, he held it for a few moments. He was looking at you the way many hope to be looked at one day. As if you were the most beautiful individual in the world. As if he couldn’t look away if he tried. “That was absolutely breathtaking, Y/N,” he said softly before finally planting a kiss on your hand, “I’m grateful for the privilege of getting to listen to your enchanting voice.”  
His words and the gentle tone he used to speak them was enough to make you feel as if you would melt into a puddle. “You are too kind,” you said.

Before that night, Madame Mooney had taught you about how to speak when meeting a possible suitor. She instructed that you should talk softly as if she were too shy to speak any way else, and she had you practice a few times with her. Right now, however, you did not need to remember any of your lessons in speaking. The shyness was coming naturally. “I hope you will come again for another show,” you added, “I would love to sing for you again.”  
Another little trick you learned. You suggested seeing him again to feel him out. See if he liked you enough for there to be a next time. If he did, it was possible he planned to pursue you.  
“I would be honored,” he then said.  
“I really hate to cut in,” Madame Mooney said. You felt her arm link with one of yours. “But tonight is a very busy night for our Y/N. She has many people to meet tonight. I hope you understand.”  
“Of course,” Jervis said politely, but his eyes never left you, “I should be going anyway. Until next time, Y/N.”  
You watched him leave, and for the first time in your life, you knew what it felt like to be infatuated with someone so strongly and long to see them again. 

It wasn’t that Madame Mooney was trying to take you away from him, of course. This was just another business tactic. Mentioning that there were other people who wanted to meet you meant that you were being sought after by more than just one person, which made your value appear higher to suitors. Still, you wished you could have continued to talk with him for just a little while longer.

 

There were a number of guests who showed interest in you that night, and when it was time for you to retire for the night, your Madame had had a couple of them approach her to show interest. She made note of them all, but somehow, the two of you had a silent understanding. You would wait for a day or two to see if you heard anything from Jervis. If not, the two of you would begin talking about some of the other guests that expressed interest in a shared night or a possible contract in the near future.

A day passed, and by the end of the second day after the party, you were starting to lose hope and beginning to believe that he had stayed to watch you perform and said those kind words just to be polite. To your delight, however, a package came for you along with a bouquet of fresh cut white lilies. Madame Mooney was there with you in your room to watch you open it up. It was a small box, not any bigger than a shoebox, but your hopes were high. It could be jewelry, after all. You sat down with the box on your lap, and once you cut the tape that held the opening together, you separated the flaps only to have mixed feelings about what you saw inside. Two old books and an envelope. The two books were Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. You did enjoy books, but you were disappointed in yourself that you had forgot the lesson Barbara taught you about hinting for more valuable gifts. Madame Mooney must have seen the look of disappointment on your face, for she explained this wasn’t a bad thing. These looked like sentimental items, and it was quite impressive that you were able to get someone like Jervis to hand over such items. It must have meant you really had an effect on him. “It even looks like he wrote you a letter,” she said, “Why don’t you read it, child, and try not to look so saddened.” She then left you to read it privately.

 

My dear Y/N,

Words cannot express just how deeply I have felt bewitched by you from the moment I laid eyes on you the other night and even moreso since I heard your enchanting voice. You are truly as pure as a sweet breath of spring. I realized when your most respectable madame escorted you away to meet some other guests, that you have awakened something inside of me that I long thought was deceased.

Desire...and although I am reluctant to use this word so early on, I believe you have awakened something else that I had come to accept would never grace me with its presence again.

Love.

I cannot begin to describe my want to see you again as soon as possible, but heaven forbids! I have commitments as a showman, and I cannot cancel my shows, but I am finding that I cannot convince my heart to be in my performances as they once were before I met you. It is for this reason, dear Y/N, that I must insist you come to my next show as an honored guest. Inside the envelope you have found this letter is a generous amount of money for both you and your dear madame to cover the cost of your company for the small amount of time I request with you. Please let your madame know that if it is not enough, I will gladly accept whatever price she requires.

Yours Truly,

Jervis Tetch

 

You felt your heart flutter in your chest as you folded the letter carefully and set it aside before opening the envelope again to find the money. You felt giddy. Was this what it was like to fall in love? In your short life, you had missed out on such. You were far too busy surviving than to distract yourself by developing crushes and falling in love, but this new feeling you felt was unlike any other, and although you knew it was unlikely Jervis could really love you after only a brief encounter, you were already hooked on the feeling he gave you, and you didn’t want it to go away.

You immediately showed Madame Mooney the money and the letter. She expressed great pride in you that you were able to make a man like him feel as if he were in love so early on in the game, but she stated she would put a call in later to demand more, for she planned to attend the show with you. She was not about to let one of her girls--her favorite at that--attend this type of thing alone.

 

You were given seats in the VIP section of the theater. Only Gotham’s finest got to sit there, and perhaps it was juvenile, but you honestly felt like royalty. Like a princess. Madame Mooney had even given you a new dress for the event. A sparkly red sequin strapless dress that reached your ankles but had a slit that reached all the way up to the midpoint of your thigh. It was classy, she explained, but would also allow Jervis a small peek of what he could have.

You scanned the section before the lights dimmed and the show began. Among those attending was the mayor himself. He looked your way only for a moment before quickly turning his attention elsewhere. Your brow furrowed. Had you unknowingly done something to offend him? You leaned over towards your Madame, but she simply shrugged it off. “I don’t want you worrying yourself over the likes of him,” she said, “Focus on the prize that’s appearing on stage any moment now.”

It was a delightful show. You witnessed Jervis call up volunteers to do the absolute impossible like balancing themselves on the backs of chairs and some did absolutely silly things like squawk like a bird believing they were an animal or impersonate the mayor believing they were him. You wished to volunteer, but Madame Mooney advised against it by gently patting you on the arm before you could raise your hand. You understood why. It was unwise to trust a man who could hypnotise you and get what he wanted for free later on, regardless of if you thought he’d actually do it.

 

You and the Madame were invited backstage after the show, and you were greeted with a smile from Jervis that lit up the room.

“My dear, Y/N,” he said taking your hand before giving it a kiss, “I’m so glad you came tonight. Did you enjoy yourself.”

“I did,” you said, “You were amazing.”

His smile only seemed to brighten. “You’ve no idea how much that pleases me to hear.”

Madame Mooney cut the conversation short before the pleasantries could go any further. “I do hope my presence was not a burden,” she said, “but I believe you are decent enough to understand that I didn’t feel it was wise to let someone as lovely and new as Y/N to attend your show alone.”

“Of course,” Jervis said, “You are a loving and caring madame, and I tip my hat to you for being so cautious. Gotham can be such a cruel and terrible city for a lovely ray of light like Y/N.”

“I’m glad you understand,” Madame Mooney said, “but I’m afraid we must be off now.”

“Oh, but can’t you stay for just a little while longer,” Jervis asked. His smile faded some and he almost looked sad, which made your heart sink. Madame Mooney linked her arm with yours. “You requested Y/N attended the show tonight,” she explained, “You made no requests for anything else.”

 

“I see,” Jervis said. There was the slightest bit of ice in his tone now. He had felt cheated, but he was doing a great job at staying composed.

“We may, however, be able to discuss your ability to see more of her,” Madame Mooney, “If you believe you can make time for an appointment with me to discuss business.”  
You saw some of the light return to his expression, and they agreed upon the next afternoon to discuss a contract.

A contract!

You realized Jervis didn’t want you for just a night. He wanted you to himself for an extended amount of time. You started to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could really be in love with you.

 

You were allowed to sit in Madame Mooney’s office for the meeting, but she advised you not to say a word unless asked. She emphasized it was important for Jervis to know who exactly was in charge, and you speaking up would compromise that.

Jervis arrived punctually with gifts for both you and the Madame. For you, a bouquet of roses. For Madame Mooney, a lovely ruby necklace. It was a smart move on his part. Such a gift had a heavy monetary value which showed just how serious he was about this agreement. He was paying Madame Mooney before they even began to discuss business.

You sat tight lipped as the two discussed money. “Now, my Y/N seems to really like you,” she said, “and there is nothing more I want in the world than to see my baby girl happy. That’s why we waited a day or so to see if we would hear from you before we considered any of the offers given to us after the night of her debut.”

“And I am grateful to both of you,” Jervis said, “You are a kind and generous woman, Madame.”

“I believe it’s only fair we take a look at what others have offered,” she said, “and give you an idea of what we may have come to expect.”

It was difficult for you to stay silent as Madame Mooney read the offers aloud. People of high importance were bidding for you, and throwing down numbers in the tens of thousands! “Our darling, Y/N, is a hot commodity,” she said before looking over at you and patting your folded hands that rested on her desk, “You ought to be proud of yourself.”

“Indeed,” Jervis agreed, “Though with a most beautiful face and enchanting voice, I can certainly see why.”

“This leaves us to you,” Madame Mooney, “but before you make an offer, there are some special conditions I would like to lay out for you.”

“Very well,” he said. There was that slight bit of ice in his tone once again, and you worried that if Madame Mooney made too many conditions, he would change his mind about the whole thing.

“If you enter an exclusive contract with us,” she began, “You will leave any watches or tools for your trade by the entrance of my establishment. I could tell you are a man of integrity, but I will not be taking any chances. There will be no hypnotism involved in your relationship.”

You looked over at him and watched his lips curl. “Simple enough,” he said. A warm feeling of relief came over you and you relaxed once again. He then reached into his coat pocket and took out what looked like a notepad and wrote something down before sliding it across from him where Madame Mooney sat. She picked up the paper and examined the writing. It was then you realized it wasn’t simply a scrap of notebook paper. It was a check!

“It looks like we have a deal,” she said before looking over to you, “Y/N, you may leave to get ready while your first patron and I go over all the paperwork.”

You stood with a fluttering heart, but before you could move to leave, Jervis took your hand and looked up at you, deep into your eyes. “We’ll see each other soon, my love,” he said gently.

 

You bathed in warm rosewater and as intended, the scent of the petals lingered on your skin by the time Jervis entered to consummate your contract. He didn’t act fast. He, instead, took as long as it seemed he felt needed to take you in completely. He sat on the edge of the bed next to you and tipped your chin up with a finger allowing him to lock his dark eyes with yours. “Dear, sweet Y/N,” he said gently, “I want to remember you just like this. So pure and delicate.”  
You trembled at his words, and his lips curled before leaning in to plant a soft kiss on your lips.  
Your heart raced, and you felt higher than you’d ever felt. Whether this was lust or love didn’t matter at the moment. You just didn’t want it to end.

He broke the kiss to whisper to you, still close to your lips. “I love you today…” he said before planting another quick kiss, “as I have from the start…”

Something about his words now, though, seemed strange and made you feel the slightest bit uneasy. Was it really possible that he loved you? After such a short time? Or was this word “love” just a word? Just a word for the moment?

“And I’ll love you forever,” he continued between kisses, “With all of my heart.”

You allowed yourself to relax as he began to trail his sweet and gentle kisses from your lips, to your jawline, and to your neck, inhaling ever so often to take in the sweet perfume of the roses. Your eyes fluttered close as his hands wandered and found the collar of your robe before slowly beginning to part it to gain access to your chest.

 

Jervis was a romantic lover. He loved reciting little rhymes and poetry before the two of you made love, and you enjoyed feeling as if you were worshipped as the queen of his universe. Sometimes before the two of you were intimate, you would read from the books he gave you and enjoy one another’s company. It was sweet and intimate in the ways sex could never be, but it would be a lie to say you didn’t also enjoy the way he treated you in bed.

He was never rough, always gentle. He worshipped almost every inch of your body and kissed all of his favorite parts before going all the way, and you enjoyed every moment of it. Everything seemed so perfect, but it was this that always made you feel slightly uneasy. Nothing in your life ever turned out the way you wanted it to, and now that you finally felt happy and loved, you were constantly worried life was going to throw you a curveball. Something was going to happen. You just knew it.

You pondered it often, and at one point, you decided your worry was over the possibility that Jervis might want to lay down some money to purchase you away from Madame Mooney and start a life with you. You convinced yourself that you worried that would interfere with the possibility of Madame Mooney wanting to adopt you and leave the business to you when she decided to retire. You pushed those worries aside by telling yourself that you could both be his and be adopted. You could have a life with Jervis, but remain there. Certainly, Madame Mooney loved you enough to allow it, and your room was certainly large enough for both you and Jervis, and he loved you after all. He wouldn’t dream of taking you away from your mother, right? He had talked often about the sister he lost. Alice. He told you how she died in a terrible accident that had turned his heart into stone. He of all people should understand the importance of family, right?

You convinced yourself of this, yet the worry still remained. You just knew something bad was going to happen, and something did.

You had reached the last week of your contract with Jervis, and you were starting to feel sad. He had not hinted at any desire to renew the contract, which left you wondering if you had disappointed him in some way. Perhaps he was just too polite to say so. Your worries, however, were eased when he entered your room that week and expressed interest in talking to you about something that could be potentially life changing for both of you.

“I wish to take you away, my love,” he said sitting next to you on the bed with both of your hands in his, “Our contract is coming to an end, and I don’t want to renew it. I wish to purchase the ability to make you my own from this moment forward.”

You couldn’t help but grin with relief and happiness. “I’m so happy you’ve said this,” you said, “because there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

You told him that you had been thinking about this too, and that you wanted nothing more than to be his permanent lover, but you just couldn’t leave your family. You told him about your idea of him living there with you. Unfortunately, however, he did not share your enthusiasm.

“Dear, Y/N,” he said, “That will not work for me. You are above this place. You should have never been a courtesan. I am only grateful I was your first patron. There is no one in this city that could love you half as much as I do. No, Y/N. I will not allow that. You will be coming with me.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. His words were gentle, but they bothered you. There was something final about them, and you got the feeling he planned to give you little choice in this decision. “Jervis,” you said, “I can’t leave. This is my home.”

He gave you a sympathetic smile before placing a hand on your cheek. “You’ll soon realize how silly those words are when you leave with me,” he said before moving to pick up his briefcase that was on the floor next to the bed. “I wish to show you something,” he said before placing it on his lap. You could have sworn you heard the sound of faint ticking before he even opened it, and you immediately began to feel sick to your stomach. “I’ve told you of Alice,” he said.  
You grew even more uneasy. Why was he bringing her up now?  
“I loved her, Y/N,” he said, “More than you could ever know. She was my world, Y/N. I didn’t think I could love another until I met you.”  
You grew alarmed. How could he talk about his sister like that.   
“You remind me of her,” he said, “and I will not lose you.”  
Right as he popped the briefcase open, you stood. “I’m going to get changed into the dress you got for me,” you said, “the blue frilly one. Let me do that before you show me.”  
His smile widened. “Lovely!” he said, “Perfect. Go on, get changed.”

You then walked behind the screens and quickly rang the chimes. In no time, a servant opened up your door and informed Jervis that the Madame Mooney requested you in her office and put as much urgency in her tone as possible. Jervis seemed put off, but you assured him you would be back as soon as possible.

 

Madame Mooney listened with much concern and even anger. Not towards you, of course, but towards Jervis. “A little snake in the grass,” she said with controlled calmness, “You won’t be seeing him again.”  
“But he’s in my room,” you said, “What if he doesn’t leave.”  
“If he’s stubborn,” she said, “We’ll beat that stubbornness out of him.”

He had broken his deal, which meant the terms of the contract no longer applied. Madame Mooney had one of her most sturdiest men, Butch, escort him out.

You went to bed with tears in your eyes. How could you have let yourself fall so easily? How could you have not seen the signs of a man with rotten intentions? Who had done rotten things? Madame Mooney assured you she would put not pressure on you to take new clients right away. She wished to allow you time to recover. You were grateful to her, and you decided from then on you would not allow yourself to fall in love with any of your clients in the future.

 

Jervis was not a man to give up so easily. You had remained in your room for quite a while, only leaving to eat and bathe. Some of your sisters would stop by every once in awhile to let you know that Jervis had come back wishing to see you, but Madame Mooney refused to allow it. A few of your sisters stepped forward hoping to maybe sway him away from you, but he only wanted you. He was obsessed.

It was then you realized that he never loved you as you hoped to love him. He confused love with obsession, which was far from the same thing. After another few days, Madame Mooney came to your room to ensure you were safe. She had banned him from ever stepping foot on the premises, and after threatening her and your sisters, he had been arrested.

“His reputation is now compromised,” she said, “If he isn’t locked up for his misdeeds, I highly doubt he will show his face in Gotham ever again.”

You didn’t care about his reputation. You just wanted to forget you ever knew him.

In a few weeks, you began to take clients again. No one showed interest in an exclusive contract right away, and you were fine with this. You simply went through the motions. You smiled. You giggled. You charmed. You continued to focus on your goal in pleasing the Madame enough to be adopted and forever taken care of.


End file.
